


Alike

by Insomination



Category: RWBY, inFAMOUS (Video Games)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-07-05
Packaged: 2018-05-24 06:52:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 10,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6145172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Insomination/pseuds/Insomination
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's RWBY, in an inFamous AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts will be in single quotes (’).

Ruby raced along the city streets, nothing more that human-shaped blur of red light. She loved this feeling. Not being totally insubstantial, but feeling physically looser. Less constrained. And the whole outrunning speeding cars was a plus.    
A bullet zinged past her ear, and she winced to herself.  ‘You’re not that fast Ruby. Gotta focus.’  That focus lasted all of five seconds as her gaze locked on the young woman passing by on the sidewalk.  
  
Weiss walked quickly down the street, intent on not being seen in a district like this. Not because she was ashamed to be near…those less fortunate than she was. But because if she was spotted, a scene would be made, and then her family would hear about it, and then she would get another long, tear-inducingly ignorant lesson about “poor people” and how they should “get up off their asses and get a job” and how she “shouldn’t go near any of those untrustworthy mutts.” God.  Her thoughts were interrupted by blaring police sirens. For a split-second, she panicked, sure her father had located her and had enlisted the entire city’s police force to bring her in. But then she saw the scarlet blur racing up the street, leaving a glowing red trail behind her. Although relieved at her continued anonymity, Weiss’s heart went out to this Scarlett Blur. Conduits were being “arrested” by the hour, and escaping when being discovered was near-impossible. As she watched “Scarlett” pass, she swore that their “head” turned to face her as they passed. And Weiss swore she caught a glimpse of silver in the red blur.    
And then Scarlett ran face-first into a traffic light at 40 mph.    
Weiss winced at the impact. They…she was out cold. Weiss stared. Scarlett was a goner now. The police would be here in seconds.    
Something began to stir in Wiess. She looked at this girl, lying defenseless on the street, and knew she couldn’t let the police take her. Maybe it was an act of rebellion against her father. Maybe it was human decency. Maybe it was because Scarlett was cute. Maybe all three. But Weiss knew she couldn’t let Scarlett get caught. Cursing herself, she nearly-imperceptibly flicked her finger up, and a giant wall of ice shot up, creating an effective road block from the police and Scarlett. Using the distraction, Weiss rushed over to Scarlett, put the girl’s arm over her shoulder, and dragged her into a nearby building that rented rooms.


	2. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boo

It took Weiss every shred of her remaining strength and willpower not to just drop Scarlett on the cheap hotel bed, instead slowly lowering her down. As tired and stretched thin as she was, she knew that Scarlett was not in good shape after her one-sided battle with the pole. Conduit or not. Weiss knew she needed ice. If anything, it would help the poor young woman feel better.    
She also knew that a cheap hotel like this didn’t have any ice.    
There was a brief flicker of her father’s words in her head, telling her not to use her abilities except to show her power.    
She quickly silenced his voice.    
She chilled her hand down and laid it against Scarlett’s forehead, smiling to herself as the unconscious woman pressed her head into the hand.    
The immediate danger taken care of, Weiss began to really feel the ache in her muscles from carrying Scarlett up the stairs. Stupid broken elevator.  Oh well. At least she was a few hundreds lighter.    
Drop enough money on the table, and any deal greeter will lean down to re-tie their shoe while accidentally leaving a key on the desk.    
Now lying to police was a whole other matter. Weiss knew she would have to stay up and keep watch.  She lasted a valiant half-hour. 

The first thing Weiss noticed was that she was sweating.  Weiss never sweats. Another side effect of her father’s “gift” to her 3 years ago, was that her body temperature never got high enough to be considered hot.  This train of thought was interrupted by the second thing she noticed.    
She was being spooned.  
 ‘Oh crap. I fell asleep and Scarlett must’ve dragged me into the bed!’  Weiss wasn’t an expert in bedside partners, but she could definitely figure out the female form when she felt it.    
And boy did she feel it.    
'Ok Weiss. Just slip out and go make breakfast. It’ll be easy.’    
Weiss moved her leg to the edge of the bed. Scarlett held her tighter. Weiss tried moving her other leg.    
Same result.    
Weiss tried shifting her weight further away.  
 “Aw, come on. Stay for a bit. You’re the best part of this bed.”    
Weird stopped dead, then slowly shifted herself back into Scarlett’s arms.    
“We’ve got to get up sometime.”  
 “But does it have to be now?”   
“…. I suppose not.”    
Time passed.   
“I’m sorry I tried to get up. I thought you were still asleep.”  
 “Were you going to leave me?”    
“No, I was going to go make breakfast.”  If one thing could ever be said about Weiss, it’s that she rolled with the punches.  
 “Ooh.” Scarlett said, pulling her closer. “Are you a good cook?”    
“Relatively. I’m no gourmet, but it will definitely taste good.”  
 “Thank you Miss Schnee.”    
Weiss's heart rate jumped 20 beats in half a second.  “You know me?”   
“Who doesn’t?”  Weiss let her sad, barked laugh answer for her.  
“Does anyone else know you like this?”    
“Do you? I don’t even know your name.”    
“Ruby. Ruby Rose. Nice to meet you Miss Schnee.”


	3. Let’s Go Again

“Nice to meet you Ms. Rose.”  
 “Please don’t call me that Ms. Schnee. I prefer Ruby!”    
“Fair enough, Ruby. Are you feeling any better?”    
“My head feels like someone is pounding it with a sledgehammer. What happened?”  
“You ran face first into a pole at what I assume was 40 miles per hour.”   
“Closer to 50” Ruby muttered.    
“Well, Ruby, we both need some food. And you are sure as Hell not getting it. So if you don’t mind.” Weiss chilled her body temperature to 30 degrees in half a second, sending Ruby shrieking off her back. Weiss got up as Ruby frantically rubbed her arms.  
 “Not fair!” She whined at the now-standing woman, trying to maintain her displeased attitude even as Weiss re-wrapped her in the covers.  
 The incredibly thin, cheap covers.    
“Alright. This isn’t going to work. You need a better bed than this.” Weiss said, just realizing how cheap this room really was.    
Jeez that greeter had scammed her hard.    
“Do you remember where your house is?”  
 “Of course! Why wouldn’t I?”  
 “There’s a chance you…dammit. Your house isn’t safe anymore.”    
“Why not?” Ruby asked, a slight hint of panic etched into her voice.    
“The police were chasing you. When they didn’t find you, that’s the first place they would go.”    
“Oh no!” Ruby said, shooting up in the bed, then immediately collapsing back, moaning and clutching her head.   
“Stay still you dolt! You’re in no condition to move that fast. What’s so bad about not going home for a few days?”  
 “It’s not that!” Ruby says, actively forcing herself not to get up again.  
 “My sister’s still there!”


	4. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, I'm not great at titles.

“Wait! You shouldn’t be moving around so much!” Weiss called after Ruby as they both dashed down the stairs, Ruby in a mad panic to make sure her sister was OK, Weiss to make sure Ruby didn’t give herself brain damage.    
“I’m fine! I’m tough!” Ruby called over her shoulder as she ran down the final flight of stairs. Only as she passed under a chance broken lightbulb, did Weiss’s fear magnify itself tenfold.    
Ruby was glowing.    
Literally, neon glowing.  
“Ruby!” Weiss called again, trying to pick up the pace, but finding it impossible to keep up.  
 ‘Sorry Ruby.’  
 “RUBY YOU NEED TO STOP RIGHT NOW!”  
Weiss shouted across the motel lobby.  Ruby stopped.    
The desk clerk stopped.  
 Time stopped.    
Weiss hated using that voice. She quickly walked up to Ruby, giving the clerk a glare that implied many years of pain and suffering if he mentioned anything from the last 24 hours to anyone, ever.    
Weiss grabbed Ruby’s arm and tugged her out the door at a brisk pace.  “Your Neon was showing you fool!” She whispered to Ruby through clenched teeth. “We will get to your house, I promise. But so help me God we will not get caught along the way.”    
Ruby nodded her head, still unsure of her own voice after Weiss’s authoritative yell. Arm in arm, they walked down the street. 

 

Ruby slid her house key into the lock and opened up the door.    
“Hey sis! It’s me!” She called into the empty-looking house.  Silence greeted her. Ruby rolled her eyes and shouted “We never came up with a safe word you nerd!”  
 “I am not a nerd!” Weiss heard come from down the hall.  
 “So, sis! Where were you last night that got me in so muuuuu…” She trailed off as she turned to corner and saw Weiss standing there, not looking awkward, but not at ease either.    
“Holy shit!” Yang shouted. “You kidnapped Weiss Schnee!”    
“What! No!” Ruby shouted back her face going bright red. “I would never-”    
“Could never, more like.” Weiss cut her off.    
“Hey! What makes you think my sister can’t kidnap you?” Yang said, her big-sister instincts kicking in, albeit at the wrong time.  
 “I watched her run face first into a pole at 50 miles an hour.” Weiss deadpanned, maintaining eye contact with Yang for the whole sentence.    
Yang didn’t last three seconds. Soon, she was laying on the floor, crying as Ruby tried to hide in her shirt.    
“Blake! Babe! You gotta come hear this story!” Yang called out in-between gasps as she tried to compose herself.    
Another figure walked down the hall, a quieter but somehow equally insulting grin on her face.    
“I heard it all. Better luck next time Ruby.” She said, then turned to Weiss. “Blake Belladonna. Nice to meet you.”   
“Weiss Schnee. Likewise”  
 “Schnee? Like Schnee Enterprises, the company with the questionable labor safety codes and bank scandals?” Blake said, the subtlest hint of an edge in her voice.    
Weiss sighed. “Yep. That’s the one.”  
 Blake must’ve read the emotion in her voice, because while she didn’t pal up to the heiress immediately, she didn’t drive the knife any deeper.    
At this point Yang had finished her fit and stood up, wiping the tears from her eyes. “But seriously now,” she said, becoming more serious. “why did the police show up at our house looking for me?”    
“I had to make up a very convincing lie on the spot by the way.” Blake piped up from behind Yang.    
“Shush you. You can misdirect people all day. It’s literally your power.”    
“It was still annoying.”  
 “And what are you doing here Schnee?”    
“I saved your sister from the police after she passed out when she hit the pole.”    
“Why?”   
'Because I have daddy issues. Because I’m rebelling. Because she’s pretty.’    
“Basic Conduit decency. I’d like to know why the police were chasing her in the first place.” Weiss said, turning to look expectantly at Ruby.    
The other two followed suit.    
Ruby stared down at the floor meekly. “Well…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can thank the fast update schedule to the fact that this has all already been written on Tumblr.com. I'm just transferring it over here. Things will slow down eventually.


	5. Explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why it all started.

“It wasn’t really my fault.”   
“Ruby, I’m gonna stop you right there and say, from years of experience as your half-sister, whenever you say it’s not your fault, it’s your fault.”   
“Yang!”   
“Actually, I’ve known you less than a day and I’m getting that kind of vibe too.”   
“Weiss?!?”   
“Maybe we should let her actually tell the story.”  
 “Thank you Blake.”  
 “But they are totally right.”   
“Agh! Ok! It went like this. I was out, just finished up working at the diner. I was walking home, and I was feeling a bit…drained.”  
 “Ruby!”   
 “It was a long day filled with insufferable people Yang! This asshat walked up to me and tried to hit on me!”   
 “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.”  
 “I could count the number of teeth he had on one hand.”  
 “…Ok. That sounds a little unpleasant. I’m still failing to see how this ends with you being chased by police.”    
“Well… I may have blasted him through a brick wall when he stuck around a little too long.”  
 “…Ruby, I can see why you did what you did, and I probably would have done the same thing in your shoes…”   
 “Thank you Weiss!”    
“That is still technically your fault.”    
“Aw come on!”


	6. Now

“So what happens now?” Ruby says after finishing her tale.     
Weiss already regretted what she had to say. “You stay here and get some rest. All three of you lay low,” she paused for a moderately dramatic, albeit true, sigh. “And I head home.”  
 “What?” Ruby shouted. “You’re leaving?”   
“Ruby. I have a family I need to get back to. I couldn’t stay forever.”  
 “Well, I guess so…”  
 Weiss turned to Yang. “You make sure she’s OK, got it?” She said, fighting to keep the sadness out of her voice. This had been a real adventure she had, where she avoided bad guys, used magic powers.   
Rescued the beautiful princess.    
She was sad the story had ended when it felt like it had just begun. She didn’t hear Yang’s response, but she could figure out what it was. She took a deep breath and steeled her nerves, then stuck out her hand to Yang. Mildly shocked, Yang took it and shook, asking “Why the thank you princess?”   
 “For the whole time I’ve been here, you never brought up my money. That means a lot to me.”   
 “Oh. Uh, no problem.” Yang muttered in an uncharacteristic display of quietness.  Weiss turned to Blake and put out her hand as well. Blake took it and shook as well, only asking “Why?”    
“You didn’t dance around my company’s faults because of our social power. It’s a welcome breath of fresh air.”  Blake only nodded in reply.   
 Weiss turned to Ruby, and was met with a fierce hug. Her turn to be stunned, all she could think to do was wrap her own arms around Ruby’s body and pull her closer.    
Her family wasn’t a hugging family, but she was pretty sure she was doing it right.    
“Thank you for saving me.” Ruby whispered into Weiss’s shoulder.   
 “Do it again in a heartbeat.”   
‘Daaaamn Weiss. You’re on point today.’  
 “I’ll see you soon.” Ruby said as she let go, then lead Weiss to the door. They never actually left the living room, so it was a short walk. But it was also a nonverbal cue for Blake and Yang to scram.    
“What makes you think that?” Weiss asked as she walked out the door, turning to face Ruby on the other side of the threshold.   
 “Because people like us are too alike to be apart for long. We’re like magnets.”   
Weiss let out a genuine laugh, saying “Like poles repel Ruby.” in between her gasps.    
“It’s not a perfect metaphor!” Ruby defended herself as Weiss continued to laugh. “The point is, we’ll see each other again.”   
Weiss’s laughter trailed off as she looked into Ruby’s silver eyes. “Goodbye Ruby.”   
“See you later Weiss.”


	7. Conference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if I get military life horribly wrong. I've never been.  
> I messed with the elder's relationships a little at this point.

Weiss knew she had to face her father and explain her day and a half of absence. But maybe it didn’t have to be today.    
Besides, she wanted to make it an even two. Fractions are weird.    
Weiss climbed up the side of her house, repeatedly freezing and unfreezing her hands and feet to the wall until she reached her bedroom window.  She purposely broke the lock the first time she pulled off this little Spider-Man stunt.    
Silently sliding the window shut, she went to her closet, changed into more comfortable, casual clothing and opened her cutting edge laptop. If she was lucky, Winter would be on.  
 Opening Skype, she was delighted to see her sister was online. Weiss immediately started a call.    
Winter answered within seconds. “Weiss. Hello. How was your day?” Winter asked, maintaining her professional manner.  
 “It was spectacular Winter. How was yours?” Weiss replied, trying to mimic her sister’s attitude. “How’s Qrow?”    
Winter signed, letting her façade slip. “He’s still just as insufferable. The fact that I have to share a barracks with him just makes it worse.”  
 “Where is he then?”    
“I kicked him out when I saw you calling.”  Weiss nodded, lost in thought for a few seconds. It was not unnoticed by Winter.  “Oh! I met the most amazing people today!”   
“Oh really?”  
 “…and last night.”  
 Winter visibly stiffened on the screen. Weiss backpedaled quickly.  “Not like that! Let me explain!”   
Weiss retold the day’s story, all the way from Ruby running into the pole to scaling the outer wall of the building.  “These people don’t seem like the kind of people Father would approve of.”    
“They aren’t.” Weiss replied, a hint of negativity poisoning her smile at the mention of her parent. “But that’s OK! I’m never going to be the daughter he wants anyway!”    
Weiss saw the look of concern on her sister’s face, and realized she might of said that a little to happily, forced or otherwise. “But that’s not what’s important. What’s important is that I’m the person I want to be.”    
“Well wadaya know! Mini-Schnee’s got some good stuff between her ears!” A voice slurred off camera.  
 “Qrow! I told you to scram! This is none of your business!” Winter shouted to out-of-frame Qrow.  
 “Oh but it is, Winter. It became my business when your sis started talking about my nieces.”   
“Wait, Ruby and Yang are-”  
 “My brother’s daughters.” Qrow said, moving into the shot behind a very upset Winter as he did.  
 “Wow. Small world.” Weiss said .  
“You have no idea. Now look kid, I’m not going to pitch you that whole ‘Overprotective-you-hurt-them-I’ll-kill-you’ speech because a) Winter would freeze me solid if I tried, and b) I trust you.”  
 Weiss and Winter were shocked at the abrupt admission.    
“Really?”    
“I listen to your Skype calls more than Winter would like. I believe you and my nieces will be close friends very soon.” Qrow replied surprisingly evenly, despite his apparent need to hold onto the back of Winter’s chair to keep himself upright.  
 No one spoke for a few seconds.  
“Ok then. Good talk.” Qrow muttered as he stumbled out of frame again. The sound of him hitting the mattress was a few seconds later, but Weiss would never be sure if the sound of his mighty snore came first.    
Winter rolled her eyes, then looked back to Weiss. “Is he right?”    
“Yang can be a bit…over the top at times. But she’s a good person. And Ruby…” Weiss trailed off, trying to think of the words.    
Winter waited patiently.    
“She just glows, y'know? Not because of her Neon though, but like…” Weiss was at a loss again.    
“Ah. She’s one of those people.” Winter said, nodding her head to show her understanding of Weiss’s words.    
“Yeah.” Weiss replied.    
“Hold onto them Weiss. People like that are worth ten times our family fortune.”


	8. Turning Point

It was four days later when Weiss got the call.  It was 8:25 AM. She was halfway through getting dressed when a knock sounded on her door. She finished dressing and opened it. A servant was standing on the other side with a wireless landline in her hand.  “It’s a Miss Rose for you Ma'am?”  
 “Oh yes! Thank you!” Weiss said, quickly grabbing the phone from her and shutting the door in her face, rudely.  Putting the receiver up to her ear, she said “Hello Ruby!”  
 “Hi Weiss. I wish we could talk under better circumstances.”  The conduit’s uncharacteristically subdued voice instantly put Weiss on edge.  
“Ruby, what’s wrong?”    
“They found us Weiss. We’ve been arrested.” 

Apparently the officers Blake had lied to soon discovered the truth, and returned to the house with a lot more firepower. Ruby, Yang, and Blake had all been captured after a large battle that ended with Yang’s burning the house down when her powers overloaded.  That was all the information that Weiss got before a gruff voice said “That’s enough talk.”, followed by Ruby shouting “I wasn’t done yet!” There was some scuffling, a grunt, and then a cry in Ruby’s voice as what sounded like something heavy and blunt was smacked into her body.  Weiss froze the phone solid right there in her hand.  She was half a second from ice-skating down to the station and blowing the door off it’s hinges before her eyes cleared of the red she was seeing.  ‘While satisfying, that won’t end well for anyone. I could call the lawyers, but I know who they really work for. First chance they get, they’d blab to Father. And then we’d all rather be in jail.’    
The longer Weiss thought, the more she realized that she could only think of one option.  She would have to break them out of jail.


	9. Setup

As Weiss paced her room, she set up her insane plan she couldn’t believe she was going to carry out.  

She was going to break Yang, Blake, and Ruby out of jail.

 At first she had considered trying to be stealthy, and sneaking around to the outer wall and freezing it so cold it shattered, but soon she came up with a better idea. Going back to visit an old… acquaintance. Taking a deep breath, she went to her closet and took out her supplies. Stripping, her first move was to bind her chest. Weiss always kept an arsenal of disguise equipment in her closet, in case she needed to change her identity before going out into the big wide world, where Schnees weren’t always as welcome as people would believe. After properly applying the binder, Weiss put on a dark full body clothes, grabbing a ski mask and some changes of clothing from her own closet. These changes of clothing were worth several thousand dollars, but that meant little to her. Throwing the clothes and the mask in a backpack, Weiss quickly scaled down her wall and slid past security, out into the night.  
Weiss gave the cashier her Death Glare as he rang up the micro tank of helium, his hands shaking. He wouldn’t be telling anyone about this. Taking her purchase and walking out the door, she mentally prepared herself as she walked to her planned out spot. This never felt right, but she had to do it.  For Ruby. 

And Blake and Yang of course.  

Ducking into a nearby ally, she took the ski mask out of the bag and pulled it over her head, making sure to hide her hair in the process. She was now totally unrecognizable. Then she pulled out her helium tank, took three deep breaths, then inhaled from the tank for three seconds, trying not to pass out. After she was done, she stowed the tank in her backpack and tested her voice.  “Hello. I am Anonymous.” Weiss said, her voice coming out comically high. Perfect. No one would recognize it. She walked out of the alley a different person and into a nearby restaurant. As she entered, she gave the man seating guests a look and gave him a $20 bill. Nodding, he said “Right this way sir.” and led her past all the tables to an unmarked side door. Knocking on it four times, the seater waited for a second and then opened it for Weiss. She stepped through, and the door closed behind her.  “Ah. Anonymous. It’s been a while.”

 “I haven’t required your services for a while Cardin.” Weiss replied, ignoring the open chair. “But today I do.”  

“Sure thing. What’ll it be?”

 “Big. I need every cop out of the precinct.” Cardin laughed. “Good one bud. I think that’s out of your price range.”  Weiss reached into her pockets and removed five thousand dollars cash. She dropped it on the table with a thunk. Cardin’s eyes went wide, staring at the money.  “You start in thirty minutes. Lead them South. For every five minutes you keep them out of the station, I bring you another thousand when the job is done.”  Cardin reapplied his poker face and said “Deal”, gesturing to one of his men to get things ready.  Weiss nodded in return, then turned and walked back out of the door she came in.


	10. Execution

Weiss waited on the rooftop, overlooking the police building, waiting for Cardin and his gang to hold up their end of the bargain. She was still in her Anonymous outfit. Just because the guards were gone doesn’t mean that the cameras wouldn’t be working.  An alarm interrupted her thoughts. Re-focusing, she saw squad car after squad car exit the building and burn rubber down the street.  That was her cue.  Jumping off the building, she landed gracefully in a three-point crouch, before springing back up and dashing across the street to the precinct. She was confident that the promise of extra money would persuade Cardin to distract the officers down to the last man, but why push her luck.  Slowing to a brisk walk, she entered the station and quickly navigated her way towards the cells. She had seen the barred windows on her approach to the building, so all she had to do was keep heading that general direction until she hit them.  It took her 34 seconds, which was way too much time.  Opening the door, she was relieved to see the trio in a nearby cell. Walking over, she un-gloved her hands, and put both on the door.  “We need to go.” She said in her squeaky voice, having re-inhaled the helium before the sirens went off.  The snarky, accusing question died on anyone’s *cough* Yang’s *cough* lips at the tone of her voice. But Yang could not be kept quiet long.  “Why should we trust you?”  “Yeah!” Ruby echoed, trying to fold her arms defiantly, but failing because of the conduit-proof gauntlets locked onto her hands up to her wrists.  Weiss didn’t say anything, instead opting to freeze the cell door and shatter it with a tap.  The previously incarcerated girls nodded and stepped out of the cell, following “Anonymous” back out into the world.  
Weiss turned them into a nearby ally and came to a stop.  “It’s still too close for my liking, but you can’t walk around with those cuffs on any longer. Hold still.” She said in her normal voice, the helium having worn off a while ago. Weiss knelt down in front of Yang and began to chill them down.  “Hey. I’m taken you know.” Yang said.  “Don’t flatter yourself. If your conduit abilities are what I gather they are, you can free Blake while I get Ruby, then we’re done twice as fast.”  

“Hey! Who says you’re getting Ruby?”  

“Careful Yang. Who’s taken again?” Blake asked, a dangerous glint in her eyes.  Yang pondered her options in silence.  “I’ll get Blake. You get Ruby.”  

“Good choice. That should be good. Try and break them.”  Yang pulled her hands apart and easily shattered the restraints.  Weiss turned to Ruby to restart the process on her gauntlets, trying to ignore the fact that she was down in one knee in front of Ruby.  ‘Jesus Weiss, you met her like a week ago. Chill out.’ 

'I can’t believe you just told me to chill out.’  

“Thank you for saving us Weiss.” Ruby said, breaking through Weiss’s fight with herself.  “You’re welcome Ruby. There. Break out.” Weiss said, standing back up as Ruby broke her restraints.  “Alright Elsa, what’s next?” Yang asked as she finished with Blake’s restraints.  Weiss took a deep breath in and out. “Now, we change.” She said, pulling her bag out from behind a dumpster.  After an awkward (for some) changing session, Weiss said “Alright. Can all of you get up on this roof?”  They all nodded.  “Well then go!”  Ruby Neon-sprinted her way up the wall.  Yang used a surprisingly controlled and quiet version of jet-propulsion to elevate herself up to the top.  Blake jumped from windowsill to windowsill until she reached the roof.  Weiss propelled herself up with a large pillar of ice she quickly materialized beneath her feet, landing next to the others.

 “Now you three wouldn’t happen to have a safe place to go, would you?”  

Three head shakes.  

“Maybe some backup cash?”  

More head shakes.  

“Anything?”

 Nope.  Weiss sighed. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this…. Looks like it’s a sleepover at my place.”


	11. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry the formatting might be bad. This is my first work on the site. I'm still learning.

Weiss, Ruby, Yang, and Blake waited on the outskirts of Schnee property.  

 “Ok. I can escort you past the guards and security, but you have to be quiet, and do exactly as I do. No powering up Yang and Ruby. Your powers are too bright. Got it?”  

Three nods.

 “Alright. We’re headed for the third window. Wait…wait…now!” Weiss whispered and dashed across the lawn to her bedroom window. Sliding to a stop, she whispered “Go go!” And made them all get up first. Thankfully, Yang and Ruby could climb without powers. After they were in, Weiss climbed up as well, and slid the window closed behind them.  “Good. We made it. Well, welcome to my room.”

 The three other women were gazing around Weiss’s room in awe. It was at least the size of their living room, and furnished with as many expensive things as her father could give her.  “Holy schnit.” Yang muttered under her breath.

 “If that was a pun on my name, I’m throwing you back out the window.” Weiss said over her shoulder as she moved things around to make sleeping space.  “This room is huge.” Blake spoke with the slightest of edges in her voice.  Weiss heard what she was really saying. ‘This room is so much bigger than it needs to be.’ 

“Yes. Yes it is. Luckily, that makes it easy to fit you three. You have two bed options. There’s a fold out bed in that couch over there, and there’s a place to string up a hammock.” 

“Hammock!” Ruby shouted, sticking her hand in the air and jumping up and down.  “Sssshhhhh!” The other three shushed her.  “Right, sorry.” Ruby whispered meekly, sticking up her finger and saying “Hammock.”  Shaking her head, Weiss turned to Blake and Yang.  “You two can share right?”  They nodded, Blake’s hand resting on Yang’s shoulder when the blonde opened her mouth for an inevitability snarky response.  “I think it’s been a long day for all of us.” Blake said. “I think we should all just go to bed for now. We can sort things out in the morning.”  Nodding, Blake unfolded the couch-bed while Weiss and Ruby hung the hammock. Weiss then distributed spare blankets and pillows from her closets, then the four women settled in for a nervous first night.


	12. If They Were Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never did use Skype on a computer.

  
"Alright, did everyone sleep well? Because there are some problems we need to address.”

 “Well good morning to you too Elsa.” Yang yawned as she stretched her arms, popping all her joints.  Weiss rolled her eyes. “Come on Yang. We need to talk about these issues.”

 “Before breakfast?”  

“Breakfast is one of the issues.”  

“You have my full attention.” Yang said completely seriously, sitting and staring at Weiss with an uncomfortable level of focus.  Weiss glanced at Blake, who gave her a sympathetic ‘get used to it’ look.  “Our two problems are how you eat, and how you hide from the servants. You can’t just walk through the halls for obvious reasons, and if I started taking food for three people up to my room, it would be very suspicious.”  The four girls sat deep in thought, pondering the issue until a tone startled them out of it. Ruby’s hands started glowing crimson, and Yang’s caught fire.  “Oh come on guys. It’s my laptop. Relax.” Weiss said as she walked over to her bed.  

Opening the laptop, Weiss saw the Skype icon with a notification number next to it. Clicking it, she saw she had a video chat request from Winter.  Weird. Usually Weiss called her.  Starting the call, she motioned for the other three to be quiet.  Winter’s face appeared. “Hello Winter. How’s the deployment going?” Weiss asked, the formality not just an attempt at sounding older than she was.  “Well, thank you. You’ll never believe what news I just heard.”

 “What news is that?” Weiss asked, dreadfully certain of where this conversation was going.  “Well I heard three conduits were apprehended recently back home, but they happened to escape.”  

“Really? How unfortunate.” Weiss said.  “Their escape was rather remarkable.” Winter continued, ignoring Weiss’s attempt to end the conversation early. “Their powers were over Neon, Fire, and a rare dual-conduit, Mental Persuasion and Invisibility. But the bars on their cell door appear to have been frozen with liquid nitrogen.” Winter finished, eyes sharp.  “Wild. Where could you possibly hear this?” Weiss asked.  “Two of them happened to be my nieces.” Qrow said, appearing from offscreen.  “Hi Uncle Qrow!” Ruby shouted from three feet away.  Mortified, Weiss slammed the laptop shut. “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?” She near-shouted at Ruby, who had instantly looked very ashamed.  Yang made a menacing move towards Weiss, but Blake put her arm on Yang’s shoulder and shook her head.  “Well, I wanted to say hi to my uncle. I haven’t talked to him in a year.” Ruby muttered, not looking at Weiss.  “Ruby, you are a fugitive! And Qrow is in the military! Family or not, if he discovers any hint of your location, he’s honorbound to report it to his superior! And then all of this ends before it even starts!”

 “Sorry.” Ruby muttered, quieter. Sighing, Weiss re-opened the laptop, resuming the call.  “Sorry. Phone went off. Had to get it.” Weiss said to a patiently waiting Winter and Qrow.  “Of course.” Winter replied, unwavering poker face set in place. “Oh Weiss, have I ever shared an interesting fact about your room with you?”  

“I believe not.” Weiss replied.  “Well, the back wall of your closet isn’t as smooth as you think it is.” Winter replied, putting such a slight look in her eyes that only someone with rigorous years of social training could catch it.  “That is interesting. Thank you Winter.” Weiss replied.  “You are welcome. Now, we really must be off.”  An idea came to Weiss right then, and a split second later she said “Wait!”  Both people on the other end of the call stopped, confused. “Qrow. If you could say anything to your daughters right now, what would it be? Just out of curiosity.” Weiss asked, seeing Yang and a downcast Ruby perk up instantly.  “Well, I would tell them that it’s going to be OK. That I know them, and know that they can handle whatever’s thrown at them. I’d tell Ruby to go easy on the cookies,”  Ruby grinned, all previous traces of her humility gone.  “I’d tell Yang to go easy on the temper,”  Yang nodded and smiled.  “and if Yang’s girlfriend Blake happened to be there, I would tell her to keep her goddamn hands off of my niece.” Blake hid her smile behind her hand.  “Interesting. That’s all, thank you. Goodbye Winter. Goodbye Qrow.”  

“Goodbye Weiss.”  

“See ya later, Mini-Schnee”  Weiss shut the laptop, and was immediately tackled back onto her bed.  “Wh-” was all she got out before she was squeezed very tightly by a pair of arms.  “Thank you Weiss.” Ruby whispered, her mouth an inch from Weiss’s ear.  Good God they were so closely pressed together.  Weiss’s focus was very easily distracted.  “Uh, you’re welcome Ruby.” Weiss replied, moving her arms to wrap them around Ruby.  Since when was hugging someone this calming? She hasn’t felt this good since she won her first fencing tournament.  “Uh, Rubes. I think Weiss is going blue. Er.” Yang spoke up from across the room.  “More blue.” Blake corrected, one hand buried deep in Yang’s hair, the other wrapped around her waist. She appeared to be actively disobeying Qrow’s wishes.  Yang didn’t seem to mind.  Ruby de-tangled herself from Weiss, leaving both a physical and emotional cold spot where she had been.  Weiss had never been more upset with Yang.  “Right. Sorry.” Ruby said sheepishly. “I like hugging people.”  ‘Oh sweet Jesus. I’m not going to last.’ Weiss thought.  “What did your sister mean about your closet?” Blake’s muffled voice came from inside Yang’s hair.  “I have no idea.” Weiss said, regaining her focus, striding over, and putting her hand on the knob. “Let’s find out.”


	13. A Chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know it just occurred to me I have no idea how to actually get Ruby and Weiss together.  
> Oh well. Improv it is.  
> Letter will be written in ‘xyz’ format.

“I can’t believe we’re here.” Yang muttered under her breath. The four girls were standing in Weiss’s (spacious) closet, honest-to-God trying to find a hidden switch on one of the walls.  
“Are you sure your sister didn’t just put us up to this?” Yang asked, disguising her embarrassment over looking so foolish with snark.  
“Yang, my sister does not joke.” Weiss replied, not exaggerating in the slightest.  
“I’m sure we’ll get along swimmingly.” Yang muttered again.  
The four continued their blind groping until Ruby let out an excited squeal.  
“I think I’ve got it!” She exclaimed, holding her finger over a specific spot on the wall as the other three gathered around.  
“Well press it!” Weiss demanded.  
Pushing down on the protrusion in the plaster, a panel soundlessly opened next to it.  
The girls stared at it for a second, before Yang piped up.  
“You have got to be kidding me.”  
“This is new.” Weiss half replied to Yang, half said to herself.  
“You live in a mansion,” Yang went on “with a godforsaken secret tunnel system? Do you live in a freaking book?”  
“That means we’d be living it it too babe.” Blake replied.  
Yang continued to grumble to herself as Weiss turned to Ruby. “Could you give us a light please? Low level.”  
“You bet!” Ruby replied cheerily, holding up a hand as the fingers began to flow a dull red.  
Turning her head down the hallway, Weiss saw the tunnel extend into darkness. “Wonder how long it goes on.” She said, trying to match it up to the mental map of the mansion in her mind.  
“Note.” Ruby said, drawing the attention of the other girls. Following her gaze, Weiss saw a large manila envelope with her name written in cursive along the front.  
“Hm.” Weiss said, doing that little noise thing we all do when pondering something. Making up her mind, she grabbed the note and gently ushered her guests outside the passage. Pressing the button again, the door slid shut. “It’s from my sister. Let’s see what it says.” Weiss said as she walked over to her bed. Ripping it open, she pulled out two pieces of paper. Deciding to check the written part first, she read aloud:

'Dear Weiss,

If you are reading this, you have either discovered this house’s hidden tunnel system, or I have told you about it. If I’ve told you about it, it’s due to the fact that I think you’ve done something incredibly dangerous and am worried you’ll need a quick way out. I’ve included a map of all the routes I’ve taken over the course of the year. I’m getting deployed tomorrow, so consider this me passing down the Marauder’s Map to you.

Use it wisely.

Love,  
Winter’

As Weiss looked up, she saw the other three studying the hand drawn map Winter had left them. “I think I can figure this out.” Ruby said, not taking her eyes off of the paper.  
“Good. I want us to memorize it.”  
“What?” Ruby shouted. “We can’t do that!”  
“You have to. This map could be the difference between your freedom and my father. Study the map. Learn the map. Love the map. Go into the tunnels whenever you need. See if you can find any routes off of Schnee property. Winter has given us our fighting chance at a Happy Ever After, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let us waste it.”


	14. Prick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first moderately planned out chapter, not me sitting down at a keyboard and spitting out the first thoughts I have. Let me know how it is. Thanks to @rwbye for the input.

Weiss was laying on her bed, not quite sleeping but resting her eyes when the knock came. Horrified, she shot a glance to the three fugitives in the room. They stared back like deer in headlights.  
“Hide!” She hissed to them, prompting them to scramble to separate spots across the room. Yang choosing to squeeze herself under the bed, Ruby under Weiss’s deep, low desk, and Blake actually stepping into a more shadowy part of the room and seeming to disappear. Weiss paused for a quarter of a second and admire how remarkable that was, before quickly heading over to the door and opening it.  
Iala, a servant and probably Weiss’s closest thing to an actual friend from her “normal” life, was on the other side. “He’s coming Miss!” She said, anxiety open in her voice.  
Her heart sank like the Titanic. She opened her mouth to thank Iala, but the young woman let out a small “Eep!” and scrambled away. Her father strode into the room without being invited, saying “Weiss, we need to talk.” as he did. All the events of the past week sprang uninvited to Weiss’s mind. Had it really been a week? It felt like months. Weiss’s breath caught as her father sat at her desk chair, but she breathed easy again as he turned around and faced her, not taking notice of the person underneath.  
“There was an interesting report on the news today. About some escaped conduits.”  
“Interesting?” Weiss replied, fighting to keep her voice neutral. “How was it interesting?”  
“Well, their powers were catalogued, and despite none of them having frost abilities, the bars of their sell were frozen to 0°C.”  
“Are you accusing me of something Father?”  
Her father stared at her indifferently for a beat, before replying “You are not to leave Schnee property from this point onward.”  
“WHAT?” Weiss shouted, internally cringing at the desperation in her voice. “You can’t do that! I need-”  
“YOU NEED TO OBEY ME!” Weiss’s father roared, his voice booming throughout the house.  
“I AM YOUR FATHER, AND YOU WILL DO AS I SAY!” He shouted, his eyes flashing, promising punishment that she knew she could no longer endure with three new maybe-friends in her life. She couldn’t go back.  
“Fine.” She whispered, forcing the word between her teeth.  
“What?” Asked her father, leaning forward.  
“I said fine! I’ll stay in the house.” Weiss half-shouted, finding it all too easy to put some defeat in her voice.  
“Good choice.” Her father said, standing up and striding over to the door, back as stiff as a board. Pausing on the threshold, he looked over his shoulder and said “Remember who runs this house.” Leaving with that final threat. A second passed, and then Iala re-appeared in the doorway, shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.  
“Shhhhhh. It’s OK. It’s OK Iala.” Weiss said, rising from her bed and moving to hug Iala. “You were very brave, warning me like that.”  
Iala only let loose a sob, still not returning the hug. She knew she couldn’t get tear stains on Weiss’s top. It was worth more than three years of her paycheck.  
“It’s OK.” Weiss said again, wishing for all the world she wasn’t lying.


	15. Poorly Inserted Backstory

Iala had to leave eventually. No matter how deep the sorrow, the world turns on.  
Weiss sat on her bed, dreading the conversation she knew she was going to have to have.  
“Ok. You can come out now.”  
Yang rolled out from under the bed, and Blake emerged from the shadows.  
But Ruby shot out from under the desk like a firework, glowing red and all.  
“That prick!” She near-shouted. “I’m going to shove my combat boots so far up his ass the laces will get tangled around his brainstem!” she declared, even going so far as to taking serious steps to the door before Weiss’s hand stopped her.  
“Don’t. It won’t work Ruby.”  
“Why?” Ruby asked, desperation in her voice. Desperate to stand up to bullies. Desperate to fix the world.  
Desperate to protect someone she cared for.  
Weiss sighed, replying with “Because he’s been a conduit for decades. He’s the strongest one in the city.”  
“Wait, your father is a conduit?” Blake asked, reminding Weiss of the other two.  
“Yes. He’s been a conduit since birth. It’s a thing with Scnees, you know. Always have to be the smartest. The strongest. The best. When the whole conduit event started, my grandfather went and got tested. When he discovered he was a conduit, he spent millions on the process of activating the genes. And then he made sure to only marry someone who also had the gene. And when it came time for his son, my father, to marry, he married someone with the gene too. His powers were activated when he was six, just for the sake of training. I like you Ruby, but you’re just not strong enough to take him down yourself.”  
The three fugitives were silent throughout Weiss’s confession. For Weiss, it was like a dam being broken. Once she started, she couldn’t stop until it was all out.  
Or, enough of it at least.  
“So what now? Yang asked quietly.  
Weiss stood up, forcing something like a smile. “Well, I think it’ll at least be a week or two before the search for you dies down, and you’re not wearing my clothes for that long. I think it’s time to do a little shopping.”


	16. Concerns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little known fact, I’m actually not good at story writing and can’t come up with ideas. This is really just me promising you I haven’t forgotten.

“Shopping? Now?” Blake asked, her voice tinged with suspicion. “Isn’t it a little too early in our fugitive careers for that?”   
Ruby immediately jumped to Weiss’s defense. “Hey, go easy on her! Weren’t you there for what just happened?”   
Weiss put a hand on Ruby’s arm and answered before Blake could. “It’s OK Ruby. She’s right. If you went out now, you’d almost certainly get caught. I was just worrying about cabin fever. Since it seems like the four of us will pretty much be confined to this one room from now on, I was scared we would be going for each other’s throats by tomorrow night. But we’ve got to hold it together, for at least four days, before you can go out. We’re stronger than this. We can do it.”   
Ruby, shocked over the two major speeches Weiss had given in the past hour or so, only nodded, followed by Blake and Yang. The four wordlessly agreed that it was late, and everyone was tired. Everyone settled down into their respective beds and fell into varying stages of slumber. Until Ruby was awoken in the night. Her head was foggy. The best way to describe it was like thinking down a tunnel. Everything just seemed really far away, but it all came into focus as she figured out the sound that had woken her.   
Sobbing.   
From Weiss’s bed.


	17. Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bruh

Thoughts raced through Ruby’s head like she raced through the streets.  
_Is it really Weiss crying?_  
_Of course it was Weiss that was crying, it’s her bed._  
_Why is she crying?_  
_What should I do?_  
_Should I go to her?_  
_Would that be weird?_  
_She’s the host._  
_That’s not an answer._  
All these thoughts and more paralyzed Ruby for minutes, but the quiet sobbing won her out. Proving she could be quiet when she wanted, contrary to everyone’s beliefs it seems, she rolled out of the hammock, landing with not a sound, and slowly padded over to Weiss’s bed. Walking around in front of Weiss, she waited for her to notice, not wanting to make a noise and wake her sister and sister’s girlfriend.  
It took two minutes, but when Weiss did notice, she just stared at Ruby, who stared back, trying to hold back the tears. But she couldn’t, for all the social training in the world, she couldn’t keep a straight face.  
“Ruby, I…I’m-” Weiss started through gasps for breath.  
“Shhhhh.” Ruby cut her off, putting a hand on Weiss’s shoulder. “It’s OK.”  
Weiss refocused her energy on crying, until Ruby voiced a question.  
“Do you…need some space? Or do you want me to…stay?”  
The way she said “stay” didn’t mean just in the room.  
Weiss thought back to the times Ruby hugged her, and how refreshed and content she was. “Could you…stay? Please?” Weiss asked, already hating herself for inconveniencing Ruby.  
“I would gladly.” Ruby replied, walking to the foot of the bed and climbing on. Weiss sat up to meet her, and they stared at each other for a second. Then Ruby opened her arms into a hug offer, and Weiss gladly accepted. They fell sideways onto the bed, still embracing.  
For the first time, Weiss slept fine after her father raised his voice.


	18. Sharing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I ever write anything over ten chapters again, send me a link to this story and digitally slap me in the face.

The four days passed very tensely. Weiss had gotten the cabin fever right. Everyone was on edge. And Ruby witnessing Weiss’s midnight crying episode didn’t help. If Blake and Yang knew about it, they didn’t show it. But Weiss avoided Ruby like the plague, which is pretty noticeable when you’re all confined to one (admittedly large) room. It shook Ruby, and Yang noticed. On more than one occasion, she had interrogated Ruby about it, but she remained steadfast in her belief that Yang “didn’t need to know.”   
Either way, the days passed. The three fugitives needed to go outside, smell fresh air, and shower for God’s sake. Weiss say them off, waving to them and wishing them a safe trip.

The three were browsing a Goodwill (“Sorry. I know I have money, but I think three strangers dropping hundreds of dollars will raise suspicion all over again), Ruby distracted by a pretty looking picture of white flowers, when Yang let out a slight cough. Blake looked over Ruby’s head at Yang. Yang gave her a Look that you can only understand by living together and dating someone for a long time. That was the Big Sister Time Look.   
"Hey, uh, I’m gonna go check out the jackets over there. Some of them might fit.” Blake said, before quickly slipping away.   
Ruby, not as dumb as everyone likes to believe, knew something was going on. Just not what.   
“So Rubes-”   
“Yang, if this is about Weiss again-”   
“No no! Well, a little, but it’s something else.”   
“Ok…what is it?” Ruby asked, stretching out the “OK”   
“For how long have you liked her?”   
Ruby dropped the little ceramic model of a sun pained black she was holding. Luckily, Yang figured something like this would happen. She picked it out of the air, and then set it back down with a mild sneer. It was an ugly model anyway.   
“Wh-what? That’s absurd! Why would you ever-”  
“Ruby please. I’m your big sister. It’s my job.”   
Sighing, Ruby accepted defeat. “Really since she broke us out of jail. She went to such lengths for us, some random people she didn’t even really know!”   
“Yeah. I can see the appeal.” Yang replied.   
Mistaking her neutrality for mocking, Ruby replied “What? You disagree?” hotly.   
“No no no.” Yang replied, backpedalling like she was losing her balance. “I’m happy for you. I really am. But you know we can’t see her forever right?”   
Ruby didn’t answer, but her silence was all Yang needed to hear.


	19. The Start of the Last Act

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry.

Sure enough, Yang’s words came true. Within another week or so, Weiss decreed it was safe for them to be let loose back into the real world, just as long as they stayed somewhat below the radar. Giving them a monetary jumping off point that made Yang choke on the air she was breathing, she bid them all farewell again, and watched them disappear into the tunnels for the last time. Her room felt a whole lot bigger when no one was in it.

Ruby was laying on the bed in her room, filling out a part-time job application when Blake practically broke down her door. “Jeez Blake, what is it?” Ruby said, moderately startled.  
“There’s a snowstorm going on outside.”  
“I guess that’s weird, it is only September.”  
“It’s centered right over the Schnee estate.”  
Ruby was up in a flash. Literally.


	20. Finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been trying to act this one out in my head for ages now, and have come up with about 10% of a plan. Maybe someday I’ll be good at marathon story writing. For now, thanks for tuning in.

Weiss marveled at how quickly things could go south. It had been another average day, which unfortunately meant a rather depressing day with no real friends and nothing to really make her happy. Her father had walked into her room, probably to scold her for something he deemed important. She was already emotionally numbing herself when her father stopped dead in his tracks. Slowly stalking over to the couch/bed, he leaned down and carefully lifted a hair off of it.  
A long, blonde hair.  
Shit. How had she not seen that.  
Her father turned to look at her, and she could almost see the snap happen. Something in his eyes changed, all the years of psychological issues he didn’t have to deal with because he was “Mr. Schnee”, coupled with who knows what concoctions he could be dosing himself with to make a “stronger conduit”. Weiss had no proof of this, but she wouldn’t have been surprised. She had just enough time to dive off of her bed before an icicle the diameter of her arm embedded itself in her headboard. “HOW DARE YOU?”  
And then the room exploded.

Blake was never really happy with being carried like this. Whenever the trio had to go somewhere fast, one of the two other women whose powers include a speed boost would carry her. For Ruby, on her back like a backpack, whereas Yang would hold her bridal-style as she propelled herself through the air. She usually chose Yang, and today was no exception. And she was thankful for it as she looked down and saw Ruby literally tearing up chunks of asphalt behind her as she ran. She must be breaking the sound barrier at least a little. Ahead, the hurricane/snowstorm raged on. Blake had a flash of an idea.  
“Put me down up here!” She shouted to the blonde.  
“Really?” She shouted back.  
“Trust me! I have an idea!”  
Shrugging, she banked down and gently deposited Blake on the ground, before swooping back up to follow Ruby.

As Ruby pushed through the last of the wind barrier and into the eye of the storm, what she saw shocked her. Weiss and her father were exchanging volleys of ice in all forms, from icicles to snowballs. And what was worse, Weiss seemed to be losing. As Ruby watched, Weiss took a pretty solid shot right to the jaw and flew backwards.  
“Hey!” Ruby shouted, drawing his attention to her. Using her anger at the man to dig deep, she put more energy than she ever had into one burst of speed and charged him. Ruby got there in .02 seconds, and drove her knee directly into his rib cage at upwards of 175 miles per hour. But the psychotic man still wasn’t done. Loosing a shout that sounded more like a roar, he shot back.

Weiss looked up from where she was laying to a sight she was infinitely proud of and thankful for. Yang and Ruby were taking her father on. Yang had decided to challenge him head on, pointing two closed fists at him and creating a concentrated stream of what looked like liquid fire at him. Ruby had decided to take a more strategic approach, zipping around him in a field of red light, dropping out of it to quickly punch or kick him, then zipping away again. But despite all this, her father held off Yang’s blaze, and Ruby’s strikes barely seems to faze the man. Weiss wasn’t sure where Blake was, but she knew that if she didn’t do something her friends would lose, and then worse.  
The storm. The massive, swirling tempest he father had created was fueling both of their powers. No storm, weaker father.  
But also weaker Weiss. Maybe if she just tightened it up a little…  
Taking a deep breath, then exhaling, she put her arms out to her sides and concentrated. Around them, the storm began to close in.  
If her father noticed, he didn’t seem too concerned. At least at first. When the storm was about the size of an apartment building, he definitely noticed.  
“Enough Weiss!” He shouted, and made to step to her. Ruby had other plans, delivering a swift kick to his ribs which actually pushed him back.  
It was working.  
“Go Weiss!” She heard Ruby call out before returning to what Weiss had taken to calling her state of heightened energy.  
Weiss pulled the storm in and in, until it passed the three other people. As it did, Yang visibly perked up and her stream of fire grew brighter. Soon, Weiss alone was surrounded by the storm. And she continued to compress it, until it was a solid ball of snow the size of a car, with the density of a building. Grunting, she lifted it over her head and stared at the man who had made her life a living hell for years. Yang and Ruby quickly backed away.  
She wound back to drop it on him, but suddenly her father jerked in front of her. Then he fell face first onto the ground. There, behind her father, were at least sixteen police officers, all of whom with tranq guns drawn.  
‘Oh. Ok.’ Weiss thought. 'I guess that works. But what do I do with this super compressed ball of cold pain?’  
Weiss grunted with the effort, but she slowly pushed the ball higher and higher into the sky. When she figured it was high enough, she let it go.  
And it exploded into billions of tiny snowflakes, which began wafting gently towards the ground. As she turned back to the others, she was just in time to see her father wake up. Luckily, they had already put the restraints on him, but boy was he mad. “YOU CAN’T DO THIS! I PAY HALF OF YOUR PAYCHECKS!” His outrage fell on deaf ears. He turned, and saw Weiss watching him. “YOU ONLY WON BECAUSE YOUR FRIENDS CAME TO SAVE YOU!” He howled at her, desperate to dig the knife a little deeper. Silent for a minute, Weiss thought.  
“No.” She replied. “I won because you didn’t have any friends who would save you.”  
They shut him in the car and drove away.  
Walking over to the rest of the group, she asked “How did they get here?”  
Beaming, Yang replied “A certain someone convinced them that even the great and powerful Mr. Schnee couldn’t get away with creating so much danger.”  
“Yo.” Blake replied from behind them, causing Weiss to spasm in shock.  
“Jesus Blake!” She said, hand over her heart. “I’m gonna have to get used to that, aren’t I?”  
“Whyyyyy?” Ruby asked, stretching the end of the word.  
“Well, you came to help me in my time of need, probably expecting nothing in return-”  
“I wouldn’t say nothing.” Yang muttered under her breath.“  
”- and in my books, that makes us friends. With my father gone and my sister away on duty, the Schnee estate is in my hands. And it's doors are always open.“ Weiss said, amused at the three open-mouthed expressions on her new friends. "I figured it was an offer you’d want to take. I mean obviously we’d have to rebuild this wing, but there are mo-”  
“YES. YES WE’LL LIVE HERE.” Yang said, stopping Weiss’s speech in it’s tracks.  
“Excellent. This isn’t free though. I’m not charging rent, but I expect you all to get jobs-”  
“DONE! COME ON BLAKE, LET’S GO PICK OUT A ROOM!” Yang said, grabbing the woman’s wrist and sprinting off.  
“She’s excited.” Weiss observed.  
“Oh you have no idea. She’s wanted to live somewhere giant since she was like 7.” Ruby replied. “Seriously, Weiss. Thank you.”  
“You’re welcome Ruby. Thank you for coming to me.”  
“What your father was doing to you was wrong. But more than that,” Ruby said, looking down and blushing “I couldn’t stand the thought of him doing it to _you_.”  
Smiling, Weiss lifted the girl’s head with her finger. Grinning, Weiss placed a kiss on Ruby’s forehead. “Thank you. Now come on,” she said, grabbing Ruby’s hand in her own. “we have rooms to find too.”  
“Or maybe…'room’?” Ruby asked.  
“Or maybe "room’” Weiss agreed as they picked their way through the rubble towards a new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking through this with me.


End file.
